CANNES — The international audience at the 68th Cannes Film Festival took a moment to collect itself before shouting, "Bravo!" after the first screening of "Carol."

This veritable lock for multiple Oscar nominations stars Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara in 1953 New York. Blanchett plays a wealthy woman in the process of a divorce who becomes smitten with a young department store worker, played by Mara, looking about as opposite from her "Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" role as possible.

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While director Todd Haynes ("Far From Heaven," HBO's "Mildred Pierce") keeps the female love story classy, the sexual tension that builds for over an hour eventually bursts in the movie's second half. Blanchett and Mara's one love scene is more tender than titillating, but it also doesn't hide anything.

Cate Blanchett stars in "Carol," which got a standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival on Sunday. (Dominique Charriau/WireImage)

"From memory, the conversation ran: 'Have you had relationships with women?' And I said: 'Yes, many times. Do you mean have I had sexual relationships with women? Then the answer is no.' But that obviously didn't make it." Blanchett continued, "But in 2015, the point should be: Who cares? Call me old-fashioned, but I thought one's job as an actor was not to present one's boring, small, microscopic universe but to make a psychological connection to another character's experiences.

"My own life is of no interest to anyone else. Or maybe it is. But I certainly have no interest in putting my own thoughts and opinions out there."

"Carol" is based on a 1952 novel by suspense writer Patricia Highsmith ("Strangers on a Train," "The Talented Mr. Ripley"). Highly controversial in its day, it was originally published under a pseudonym.

Haynes' film adaptation got the biggest ovation so far at this year's Cannes.